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The best of French and European cinema

Watching STUDIOCANAL is an instant pass to the celebrated directors and greatest times of French and European cinema. From the films of Melville or Ozon to Godard, Oury or Buñuel, STUDIOCANAL channel offers more than 260 films a year from its exclusive catalog. STUDIOCANAL offers an incredible film library to discover or revisit entire segments of world cinema, particularly French and European cinema, from the1930s to the 2000s!

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What to watch in September

Sep 12 2018

Each month, FrenchFlicks selects the best French films available on Canal+ International and Studiocanal. In September, you’ll have plenty to choose from, including one of the best thrillers in recent years, Les liens du sang, as well as the comedy Brillantissime with its impressive cast – Kad Merad, Michèle Laroque, Gérard Darmon, Michaël Youn and many more.

CANAL+ INTERNATIONAL

FILMS ON TUESDAYS AND FRIDAYS AT 8:00PM EST*:

BRILLANTISSIME (2018) on 09/14/2018

After getting dumped on Christmas Eve, Angela must rebuild her life surrounded by her rebellious teenager, her tyrannical mother, her hysterical best friend, and a weird psychologist.

Why FrenchFlicks likes it - It could have been another middle-age crisis comedy about a woman who tries to find new meaning in her life, but thanks to a fabulous cast and sharp dialogue, Brillantissime holds pretty high in a sea of comedies around the subject.

LES LIENS DU SANG (2008) on 09/21/2018

François (Guillaume Canet) is a police investigator who spent years forcibly estranged from his issue-laden brother Gabriel (François Cluzet), after a judge sentenced the latter to a decade in prison for murder. Gabriel's sudden release from prison ends the separation, and the men both instinctively make attempts to bury the past and help Gabriel reassimilate after years off the street. Their efforts prove feeble and ineffectual, however, as the past comes encroaching back and begins to plague both men.

Why FrenchFlicks likes it - An absorbing retro crime thriller in France's gritty late 70's about family and betrayal. Interestingly enough, Guillaume Canet, star of the film, directed himself the US remake, Blood Ties, released in 2013 without the same praise as the original French title.

Between Dorothée and Nicolas, it’s love at first sight. Together, they’ll enjoy a very, very great love affair... They’re sure and certain about this. But life always does its utmost to thwart the best intentions, the most perfect scenarios and nothing will unfold as planned. From misunderstandings to arguments, promises to betrayals, real separations and false reunions, and vice versa, the couple are swept up in the merry-go-round of a comedy as turbulent as their passion...

Why FrenchFlicks likes it - There is undeniably something of Amélie in this comedy, with its quircky character, eccentric cinematography and fantisist overall tone. Highly regarded by critics at its release in France, the film sadly never made it to US theaters. Here is your chance to see it for the first time.

LE VELO DE GHISLAIN LAMBERT (2001) on 09/18/2018

In the 70s, there was Merckx and there were the others. Ghislain Lambert was one of the others. This is his story, a quite simple one. The story of a modest Belgian bike racer. His greatest ambition in life? To become a champion. His greatest tragedy? Not having the legs his heart deserves.

Why FrenchFlicks likes it - If you're not familiar with Benoît Poelvoorde's work, think Jim Carrey with less funny faces, but the same type of outrageous comedic performance, always with an underlying sense of melancholy. The Belgian actor finds here the perfect stage for his multifaceted performance.

EN EQUILIBRE (2015) on 09/25/2018

Marc Guermont used to be a very much sought after horse stuntman in films. One day unfortunately, he had a bad fall from his mount during the shooting of a historical movie. And not only has he become a paraplegic but his insurance company tries to rip him off into the bargain. Two good reasons for Marc to feel bitter and enraged. Needless to say that Marc resolutely waits for the coming of his insurance "advisor". But when the latter reports to him, the insurance man happens to be a... seductive woman, Florence Kernel.

Why FrenchFlicks likes it - A poignant and unconventional love story that avoids overt melodramatics. Albert Dupontel and Cécile de France play here a magnetic couple and navigate perfectly between humor and sorrow.

STUDIOCANAL

SOUS le SABLE (2001)

Genre: DramaDirector: François Ozon

Every summer, Jean and Marie enjoy go on holidays in the south of France. Marie is enjoying a sun bath on the beach when she suddenly realizes that Jean, her husband has disappeared. Did Jean just run away from her? or maybe drowned? Marie is alone to resolve this puzzle.

Why FrenchFlicks likes it - A rare chance to watch the first masterpiece of one of France's most acclaimed director, François Ozon. Sous le sable is the kind of film that keeps lingering in your mind long after you see it.

LES NUITS FAUVES (1992)

Genre : DramaDirector : Cyril Collard

Jean is a thirty year old man who is HIV positive. His life is divided between a passionate relationship with Laura, a seventeen year old girl and a relationship with a Spanish immigrant, Sami. Jean knows all too well that time is working against him. Hence, he has decided to live a life full of danger.

Why FrenchFlicks likes it – A complex and emotionally rich tale about AIDS, which is also the first French film to really approach the subject without any taboos. The movie is partly based on its director's life, Cyril Collard, who passed away days before winning Best Picture at the Césars Awards in 1993.

MAX ET LES FERRAILLEURS (1971)

Genre : Drama, ThrillerDirector : Claude Sautet

Max is an ex judge who has only one idea in mind: to arrest criminals in the act. When Max meets an old friend who became a hoodlum, he has the idea of suggesting him to commit a hold-up in order to arrest him and his pals. Unfortunately, Max will fall in love with the beautiful Lily…

Why FrenchFlicks likes it – Claude Sautet's elegant and sophisticated crime drama was long overlooked before becoming a cult classic. A dark, cynical thriller on personal justice that finds Romy Schneider and Michel Piccoli at their peak.